Birthplace of Chinese Hehe Culture

Hehe Culture has an extensive influence on the locals of Taizhou. The Two Immortals of Hehe (Han Shan and Shi De), the inseparable symbols of Hehe Culture, have been deeply rooted in the daily life of the Taizhou people. 

Taizhou has been working hard on the in-depth research and promotion of Hehe Culture since the late 1980s. Established in May 1989, the Tiantai Mountains Culture Research Association is China's first public academic group at the municipal level that is dedicated to the study of the culture of famous mountains. The association has been committed to the research and promotion of the Tiantai Mountains culture. Since the First Global Tiantai Mountains Hehe Culture Forum in 2007, the association has organized a variety of cultural seminars and exchanges, including the 2017 Tiantai Mountains Hehe Culture Forum, and the 2019 Taizhou Cultural Integration Summit and the Tiantai Mountains Hehe Culture Forum. It also published treatises on Hehe Culture, including The History of Tiantai Mountains Hehe Culture, An Introduction to Tiantai Mountains Hehe Culture, and The Hehe Culture Textbook. All these have spurred the study and dissemination of Hehe Culture among the public.

In early 2018, Taizhou initiated its bid for the title "Birthplace of Chinese Hehe Culture" and submitted its application to the China Folk Literature and Arts Association (CFLAA). Between December 15 and 16, 2018, an expert evaluation team from the CFLAA conducted a field investigation to evaluate Taizhou's application. On December 27 that year, the CFLAA officially granted the title to Taizhou, and announced that Tiantai County would be established as a base for the promotion of Chinese Hehe Culture.

The title is not only a positive response to the Tiantai Mountains Hehe Culture, but also a recognition of Taizhou's constant efforts to carry forward Hehe Culture and its spirit.  

中國和合文化之鄉

和合文化在民間有著非常廣泛的影響，尤其是以“和合二圣”（寒山和拾得）為代表的和合文化形象，更是深入老百姓的日常生活。

20世紀80年代末以來，臺州市對和合文化進行了深入的挖掘和弘揚。天臺山文化研究會成立于1989年5月，是國內首家市級研究名山文化的群眾性學術團體，長期致力于挖掘和弘揚天臺山文化。自2007年首次舉辦天臺山和合文化國際論壇后，天臺山文化研究會陸續開展各類文化研討和交流活動，包括頗有影響力的“2017天臺山和合文化論壇”“2019臺州‘文化融’主題峰會暨天臺山和合文化論壇”等，還出版了《天臺山和合文化史》《天臺山和合文化概論》《和合文化讀本》等和合文化專著，帶動了和合文化民間研究與傳播。

2018年年初，臺州市正式啟動了“中國和合文化之鄉”申創工作，并向中國民間文藝家協會提出了相關的申請。2018年12月15日至16日，中國民間文藝家協會專家考評組對臺州市申創“中國和合文化之鄉”的相關工作進行實地考評。同年12月27日，中國民間文藝家協會發布公告，正式命名臺州為“中國和合文化之鄉”，并在天臺縣建立“中國和合文化傳承基地”。“中國和合文化之鄉”的命名，既是對天臺山和合文化的積極回應，也是對臺州市多年來弘揚和合文化、倡導城市精神的肯定。